Painting Calipers
 

Anyone do a write up on the procedures for painting the calipers? I'm going to be swapping out my rotors and pads soon and wanted to paint the calipers while I had them out. Anyone have a good recommendation for which brand/type of paint to use? Any special procedures (sanding, priming, etc.)? TIA!

I always recommend high temp engine paint because of the heat they go through, but people have been sucessful with regular paint.

Yeah I used high temp engine paint and painted them with a couple coats, but I cleaned them with paint thinner before hand and then washed the calipers with soap and water... The paint thinner is to get off any son of the gun or armorall that may have gotten on them when you shined your tires. It's important to get that stuff off of any surface before you paint, because it has oils in it that can make your paint "fish eye"....

Jr,

I put my ebay Brembo rotors on with new pads also.....While I was in there I painted my calipers red.....

Th rotors should be painted with some silver high temp paint also....As soon as the water gets to them if there are not panted, they will look like ass...I still need to paint the rotors, I learned the hard way(they are all rusted up).....

you get those vac lines done yet?

You can buy special brake caliper spray paint lacquer (sp?) at any good hot rod shop - about $8.00 a can. It's probably just high temp paint but who knows. Make sure you clean everything extremely well, and finish up with good ol' dishwashing soap and hot water. Let dry completely and only paint when the relative humidity is low or else.........Use several light coats and spray from different angles.

If you really want to get nuts you can paint the raised Mazda logo a contrasting color with a small brush. I did. It's bitchin'.

I'll bet you didn't know that Ferrari charges $600.00 as an option if you want this done to your new Modena.:eek:

NO! I'm still struggling with the damn solenoid rack. I got pissed and took the Dremel to it's mounting brackets... that wasn't a good idea, I nicked and dented the 2 fuel lines that run back there and now I need to replace those, plus I broke the nipples off the turbo control solenoid, I'm waiting for a replacement one now.

Anyway, when you say paint the rotor's I'm assuming your only talking about the non-braking surface area's right?

Try it and see what happens......:D

If you paint the pad contact area of the rotor it will get scraped off the first time you brake. I would use a caliper paint spray for the rotors, I bought Powerslots, so they came painted with silver cadmium.

As far as the calipers go I recommend a two part caliper paint such as Folia-Tech or G2 (both are European). Most places sell this stuff from $39 to $55. I found some G2 on sale at http://www.machv.com/brakcalpaink.html I paid $29 However, I see the sale is over , and the price went to $44 (which is better than $52, what the speed shop near my house sells it for)

But, if you do a google serch for "G2 caliper paint" or " Folia tech" a lot of stuff will come up and just find your best deal.

Good Luck!:D

Ok I painted my calipers and I took no short cuts with rattle can paints. If you want to paint them and you want it don right and look perfect you have to use Folia Tec brake caliper laquer. Its about 45 to 50 bucks for the kit. It comes with a 2 part paint. You mix it and let it sit for 10 mins. While it sitting use the Brake cleaner and a wire brish to clean the calipers of any oxidation or rust or brake dust. Wipe them off with a rag and then put on the first coat with a small brush. I got about 3 brushed from a craft store. The brush head should be about the size of your pinky finger. You wait for the first coat to start setting up but you dont have to wait till it dries. I did 3 coats and mine look perfect. Looks like they came that way from the factory. You will be impressed once the paint dries. Be sure to use all the paint you mixed because it will harden even with the can sealed. I would not use spray paint!! I wish I had pictures to show you. They look like a Pro painted them. I believe this paint is rated for much higher temps than engine paint. Just think how hot these things must get. My paint has even help up with the acid based Eagle one wheel cleaner i use to clean the wheels with. If your going to paint them do it right and use FOLIA TEC. I bought mine through an AD in Sport Compact Car magazine. Also Jason at the RX-7 Store says he can get it. I repeat do not half ass it if your want it to look right.

Has anybody powder coated their calipers yet ???
I think it would look good but havent tryed it . I think that is what is done on the factory 911's

You can get caliper paint from Summit Racing too. Possibly JC Whitney as well.

i painted my calipers when i installed my zinc plated brembo slotted and drilled rotors. as an added touch i polished the raised mazda letters. looks sweet! if u buy rotors go with the zinc plated will not rust!

Go to your local hobby shop and buy two cans of "Testors" Gloss Red or whatever color you choose. It's only about $5 a can. I just taped off my rotors...sanded down my calipers slightly and sprayed a can for each caliper. After that I got a small model paintbrush and some testors silver paint and did the Mazda lettering. It has been 3 yrs and if I run my hand over the caliper...it still looks like it did the day I painted it!!!! Literally...it still looks like wet red paint. Absolutely positively NO cracking or fading!!!

Rotary 93, you avatar stealing bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

i cleaned them off real good with alot of brake cleaner & wire brush, then primed them, then sprayed them with some lacquer & a clear coat over the top (of course, i had to brush the "mazda", but sprayed the rest). ...i know, i know, i went cheap with this with the spray paint, but i used the folia tec on the last car, and it was expensive ($50), and i JUST BARELY had enough to finish all 4 calipers (and that was just painting primarily the visible areas). with the spray paint, i spent $20-30 total with plenty of paint to spare.

i will admit that i need to redo the rear calipers, but that's a whole other story -- dragging brake got the caliper so hot that the paint literally burned off :) and that was on the maiden voyage after i had just finished the brakes.

since the front brakes do most of the work, i would have expected the fronts to burn off, but the fronts still look great -- just like the pic below :)


http://www.geocities.com/bogtong2001...t-calipers.jpg